Author: Patrick McGilligan
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062560964
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 772
Book Description
A deeply textured and compelling biography of comedy giant Mel Brooks, covering his rags-to-riches life and triumphant career in television, films, and theater, from Patrick McGilligan, the acclaimed author of Young Orson: The Years of Luck and Genius on the Path to Citizen Kane and Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light. Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy award–winner Mel Brooks was behind (and sometimes in front the camera too) of some of the most influential comedy hits of our time, including The 2,000 Year Old Man, Get Smart, The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. But before this actor, writer, director, comedian, and composer entertained the world, his first audience was his family. The fourth and last child of Max and Kitty Kaminsky, Mel Brooks was born on his family’s kitchen table in Brooklyn, New York, in 1926, and was not quite three-years-old when his father died of tuberculosis. Growing up in a household too poor to own a radio, Mel was short and homely, a mischievous child whose birth role was to make the family laugh. Beyond boyhood, after transforming himself into Mel Brooks, the laughs that came easily inside the Kaminsky family proved more elusive. His lifelong crusade to transform himself into a brand name of popular humor is at the center of master biographer Patrick McGilligan’s Funny Man. In this exhaustively researched and wonderfully novelistic look at Brooks’ personal and professional life, McGilligan lays bare the strengths and drawbacks that shaped Brooks’ psychology, his willpower, his persona, and his comedy. McGilligan insightfully navigates the epic ride that has been the famous funnyman’s life story, from Brooks’s childhood in Williamsburg tenements and breakthrough in early television—working alongside Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner—to Hollywood and Broadway peaks (and valleys). His book offers a meditation on the Jewish immigrant culture that influenced Brooks, snapshots of the golden age of comedy, behind the scenes revelations about the celebrated shows and films, and a telling look at the four-decade romantic partnership with actress Anne Bancroft that superseded Brooks’ troubled first marriage. Engrossing, nuanced and ultimately poignant, Funny Man delivers a great man’s unforgettable life story and an anatomy of the American dream of success. Funny Man includes a 16-page black-and-white photo insert.
Funny Man
Author: Patrick McGilligan
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062560964
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 772
Book Description
A deeply textured and compelling biography of comedy giant Mel Brooks, covering his rags-to-riches life and triumphant career in television, films, and theater, from Patrick McGilligan, the acclaimed author of Young Orson: The Years of Luck and Genius on the Path to Citizen Kane and Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light. Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy award–winner Mel Brooks was behind (and sometimes in front the camera too) of some of the most influential comedy hits of our time, including The 2,000 Year Old Man, Get Smart, The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. But before this actor, writer, director, comedian, and composer entertained the world, his first audience was his family. The fourth and last child of Max and Kitty Kaminsky, Mel Brooks was born on his family’s kitchen table in Brooklyn, New York, in 1926, and was not quite three-years-old when his father died of tuberculosis. Growing up in a household too poor to own a radio, Mel was short and homely, a mischievous child whose birth role was to make the family laugh. Beyond boyhood, after transforming himself into Mel Brooks, the laughs that came easily inside the Kaminsky family proved more elusive. His lifelong crusade to transform himself into a brand name of popular humor is at the center of master biographer Patrick McGilligan’s Funny Man. In this exhaustively researched and wonderfully novelistic look at Brooks’ personal and professional life, McGilligan lays bare the strengths and drawbacks that shaped Brooks’ psychology, his willpower, his persona, and his comedy. McGilligan insightfully navigates the epic ride that has been the famous funnyman’s life story, from Brooks’s childhood in Williamsburg tenements and breakthrough in early television—working alongside Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner—to Hollywood and Broadway peaks (and valleys). His book offers a meditation on the Jewish immigrant culture that influenced Brooks, snapshots of the golden age of comedy, behind the scenes revelations about the celebrated shows and films, and a telling look at the four-decade romantic partnership with actress Anne Bancroft that superseded Brooks’ troubled first marriage. Engrossing, nuanced and ultimately poignant, Funny Man delivers a great man’s unforgettable life story and an anatomy of the American dream of success. Funny Man includes a 16-page black-and-white photo insert.
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062560964
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 772
Book Description
A deeply textured and compelling biography of comedy giant Mel Brooks, covering his rags-to-riches life and triumphant career in television, films, and theater, from Patrick McGilligan, the acclaimed author of Young Orson: The Years of Luck and Genius on the Path to Citizen Kane and Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light. Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy award–winner Mel Brooks was behind (and sometimes in front the camera too) of some of the most influential comedy hits of our time, including The 2,000 Year Old Man, Get Smart, The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. But before this actor, writer, director, comedian, and composer entertained the world, his first audience was his family. The fourth and last child of Max and Kitty Kaminsky, Mel Brooks was born on his family’s kitchen table in Brooklyn, New York, in 1926, and was not quite three-years-old when his father died of tuberculosis. Growing up in a household too poor to own a radio, Mel was short and homely, a mischievous child whose birth role was to make the family laugh. Beyond boyhood, after transforming himself into Mel Brooks, the laughs that came easily inside the Kaminsky family proved more elusive. His lifelong crusade to transform himself into a brand name of popular humor is at the center of master biographer Patrick McGilligan’s Funny Man. In this exhaustively researched and wonderfully novelistic look at Brooks’ personal and professional life, McGilligan lays bare the strengths and drawbacks that shaped Brooks’ psychology, his willpower, his persona, and his comedy. McGilligan insightfully navigates the epic ride that has been the famous funnyman’s life story, from Brooks’s childhood in Williamsburg tenements and breakthrough in early television—working alongside Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner—to Hollywood and Broadway peaks (and valleys). His book offers a meditation on the Jewish immigrant culture that influenced Brooks, snapshots of the golden age of comedy, behind the scenes revelations about the celebrated shows and films, and a telling look at the four-decade romantic partnership with actress Anne Bancroft that superseded Brooks’ troubled first marriage. Engrossing, nuanced and ultimately poignant, Funny Man delivers a great man’s unforgettable life story and an anatomy of the American dream of success. Funny Man includes a 16-page black-and-white photo insert.
A Funny Man
Author: Patricia Jensen
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780590461900
Category : Individuality
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A funny man with a funny smile, funny car, and funny crocodile likes to do things just a little bit differently. Includes activity pages.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780590461900
Category : Individuality
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A funny man with a funny smile, funny car, and funny crocodile likes to do things just a little bit differently. Includes activity pages.
The Funny Guy
Author: Jonathan W. Maupin
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
ISBN: 1466920378
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 93
Book Description
In a world where frustration and sadness seem to be the norm, The Funny Guy breaks the mold. The comic strip focuses on a young man and his everyday situations, which become comical. The cartoon's main character (Fun) is a modern-day Charlie Chaplin! His days begin normal and end hilarious! and the people he interacts with each day represent every walk of life. From a pushy landlord, a quick-to-write-a-ticket traffic cop, and a slang-talking hobo. The Funny Guy is a cartoon in which every person—no matter what race, age, or religion—can appreciate and enjoy.
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
ISBN: 1466920378
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 93
Book Description
In a world where frustration and sadness seem to be the norm, The Funny Guy breaks the mold. The comic strip focuses on a young man and his everyday situations, which become comical. The cartoon's main character (Fun) is a modern-day Charlie Chaplin! His days begin normal and end hilarious! and the people he interacts with each day represent every walk of life. From a pushy landlord, a quick-to-write-a-ticket traffic cop, and a slang-talking hobo. The Funny Guy is a cartoon in which every person—no matter what race, age, or religion—can appreciate and enjoy.
Do You Talk Funny?
Author: David Nihill
Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.
ISBN: 1942952287
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 204
Book Description
Public speaking can be terrifying. For David Nihill, the idea of standing in front of an audience was scarier than cliff jumping into a thorny pit of spiders and mothers-in-law. Without a parachute or advanced weaponry. Something had to change. In what doesn't sound like the best plan ever, David decided to overcome his fears by pretending to be an accomplished comedian called "Irish Dave" for one full year, crashing as many comedy clubs, festivals, and shows as possible. One part of the plan was at least logical: he was already Irish and already called Dave. In one year, David went from being deathly afraid of public speaking to hosting a business conference, regularly performing stand-up comedy and winning storytelling competitions in front of packed houses. And he did it by learning from some of the best public speakers in the world: stand-up comedians. Do You Talk Funny?: 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker shows how the key principles of stand-up comedy can be applied to your speaking engagements and presentations to make you funnier, more interesting, and better looking. (Or at least two of the three.) Whether you are preparing for a business presentation, giving a wedding toast, defending your thesis, raising money from investors, or simply want to take on something you're afraid of, this book will take you from sweaty to stage-ready. You'll learn how to: - Craft a story and content that your audience will want to listen to - Find the funniest parts of your material and how to get to them faster - Deal with stage fright - Master the two most important parts of your performance: timing and delivery Ten percent of the author's proceeds from this book will go to Arash Bayatmakou via Help Hope Live until he is fully back on his feet and thereafter to one of the many facing the same challenges after suffering a severe spinal cord injury.
Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.
ISBN: 1942952287
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 204
Book Description
Public speaking can be terrifying. For David Nihill, the idea of standing in front of an audience was scarier than cliff jumping into a thorny pit of spiders and mothers-in-law. Without a parachute or advanced weaponry. Something had to change. In what doesn't sound like the best plan ever, David decided to overcome his fears by pretending to be an accomplished comedian called "Irish Dave" for one full year, crashing as many comedy clubs, festivals, and shows as possible. One part of the plan was at least logical: he was already Irish and already called Dave. In one year, David went from being deathly afraid of public speaking to hosting a business conference, regularly performing stand-up comedy and winning storytelling competitions in front of packed houses. And he did it by learning from some of the best public speakers in the world: stand-up comedians. Do You Talk Funny?: 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker shows how the key principles of stand-up comedy can be applied to your speaking engagements and presentations to make you funnier, more interesting, and better looking. (Or at least two of the three.) Whether you are preparing for a business presentation, giving a wedding toast, defending your thesis, raising money from investors, or simply want to take on something you're afraid of, this book will take you from sweaty to stage-ready. You'll learn how to: - Craft a story and content that your audience will want to listen to - Find the funniest parts of your material and how to get to them faster - Deal with stage fright - Master the two most important parts of your performance: timing and delivery Ten percent of the author's proceeds from this book will go to Arash Bayatmakou via Help Hope Live until he is fully back on his feet and thereafter to one of the many facing the same challenges after suffering a severe spinal cord injury.
The Funny Men
Author: Steve Allen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Comedians
Languages : en
Pages : 296
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Comedians
Languages : en
Pages : 296
Book Description
It's Kind of a Funny Story
Author: Ned Vizzini
Publisher: Disney Electronic Content
ISBN: 1423141083
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 452
Book Description
Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life—which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job—Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy. At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away.
Publisher: Disney Electronic Content
ISBN: 1423141083
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 452
Book Description
Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life—which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job—Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy. At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn't brilliant compared to the other kids; he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away.
Funny: The Book
Author: David Misch
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1557839662
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 229
Book Description
Funny: The Book is an entertaining look at the art of comedy, from its historical roots to the latest scientific findings, with diversions into the worlds of movies (Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers), television (The Office), prose (Woody Allen, Robert Benchley), theater (The Front Page), jokes and stand-up comedy (Richard Pryor, Steve Martin), as well as personal reminiscences from the author's experiences on such TV programs as Mork and Mindy. With allusions to the not-always-funny Carl Jung, George Orwell, and Arthur Koestler, Funny: The Book explores the evolution, theories, principles, and practice of comedy, as well as the psychological, philosophical, and even theological underpinnings of humor, coming to the conclusion that (Spoiler Alert!) Comedy is God.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1557839662
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 229
Book Description
Funny: The Book is an entertaining look at the art of comedy, from its historical roots to the latest scientific findings, with diversions into the worlds of movies (Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers), television (The Office), prose (Woody Allen, Robert Benchley), theater (The Front Page), jokes and stand-up comedy (Richard Pryor, Steve Martin), as well as personal reminiscences from the author's experiences on such TV programs as Mork and Mindy. With allusions to the not-always-funny Carl Jung, George Orwell, and Arthur Koestler, Funny: The Book explores the evolution, theories, principles, and practice of comedy, as well as the psychological, philosophical, and even theological underpinnings of humor, coming to the conclusion that (Spoiler Alert!) Comedy is God.
Thanks for the Money
Author: Joel McHale
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399575383
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
From actor and comedian Joel McHale comes the most important celebrity-penned book of this, or any, generation. Part shocking tell-all memoir, part aspirational how-to guide, and mostly all book, this one-of-a-kind tome is required reading for anyone who enjoys Hollywood gossip, get-rich-gradually tips, and copious illustrations and charts. “…Thanks for the Money is a clever, much-needed antidote to the age of celebrity book deals. If the tide can’t be stopped, at least it can be mocked.”—EW.com Joel McHale pulls back the curtain on his personal journey to stardom! Here, for the first time, Joel reveals all that has molded him into the acclaimed comic actor he is today: a love of performance, a series of boyhood head injuries, and most importantly, a passion for financial compensation and free shoes. It’s all here: Joel’s career trials and tribulations, his criminal trials and tribulations, and an honest, unflinching list of all the people he’s been paid money to make out with, on camera. But the book does not stop there! Because if you want wealth, fame, and cost-free footwear, Joel will share every vital tip he has learned: an insanely low-carb diet plan, how to escape from a certain pseudo-religious celebrity cult, and more! How can you unlock the power of the Joel McHale who lurks inside? What happened when Joel fought his Community co-star Chevy Chase? And hey, while we’re at it, what’s up with Joel’s hair—really? All will be revealed, within the pages of Thanks for the Money. Buy now, and receive—as a special bonus—an email receipt that details your purchase!
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0399575383
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
From actor and comedian Joel McHale comes the most important celebrity-penned book of this, or any, generation. Part shocking tell-all memoir, part aspirational how-to guide, and mostly all book, this one-of-a-kind tome is required reading for anyone who enjoys Hollywood gossip, get-rich-gradually tips, and copious illustrations and charts. “…Thanks for the Money is a clever, much-needed antidote to the age of celebrity book deals. If the tide can’t be stopped, at least it can be mocked.”—EW.com Joel McHale pulls back the curtain on his personal journey to stardom! Here, for the first time, Joel reveals all that has molded him into the acclaimed comic actor he is today: a love of performance, a series of boyhood head injuries, and most importantly, a passion for financial compensation and free shoes. It’s all here: Joel’s career trials and tribulations, his criminal trials and tribulations, and an honest, unflinching list of all the people he’s been paid money to make out with, on camera. But the book does not stop there! Because if you want wealth, fame, and cost-free footwear, Joel will share every vital tip he has learned: an insanely low-carb diet plan, how to escape from a certain pseudo-religious celebrity cult, and more! How can you unlock the power of the Joel McHale who lurks inside? What happened when Joel fought his Community co-star Chevy Chase? And hey, while we’re at it, what’s up with Joel’s hair—really? All will be revealed, within the pages of Thanks for the Money. Buy now, and receive—as a special bonus—an email receipt that details your purchase!
Funny Thing about Minnesota...
Author: Patrick Strait
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781681341866
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
An insiders' look at the land of 10,000 laughs--how Minneapolis became a hotspot for comedy. It is a lively look back at the wild '80s scene and the creative legacy it wrought.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781681341866
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
An insiders' look at the land of 10,000 laughs--how Minneapolis became a hotspot for comedy. It is a lively look back at the wild '80s scene and the creative legacy it wrought.
Private Funny Man
Author: Thomas A. Sr. Boland
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781534702134
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 814
Book Description
This is a true story about how "Private Funny Man" came to have that name and how it suited him perfectly. Private Funny Man is best described as a mixture of Forest Gump and GI Joe on one side and Atticus Finch and Perry Mason on the other. It is the story of how he overcame poverty and a reading disability of dyslexia that had him labeled as being stupid. He failed several grades but was such a disrupted force in class that most teacher passed him on so they wouldn't have to deal with him again. Funny Man enlisted into the United States Marine Corps and it was a decision that changed his life. He finally learned how to read and after returning from Vietnam enrolled in college. He would go on to earn a BA, a MA and then a Juris Doctor of Law degree. He would go on to have a successful career in law. He was a champion for his clients as they, like him, were the underdogs. Humor was often the only tool he had to help keep his clients from spending a lifetime in jail. Still being drawn to service to his Country, he received a Commission as an Infantry officer in the United States Army Reserves at age 36. He was called to duty in Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Honduras, Egypt, Haiti and Bosnia. He became one of the oldest, if not the oldest, officer to complete the Army Airborne School at nearly 57 years of age. The remarkable thing is how many funny, crazy, interesting and often dangerous situations he always found himself involved. Surprisingly there is another side to Private Funny Man. He was named the South Carolina "Palmetto State Poet of the Year." He entertained many ladies with his poems and his knowledge of poets, painters, sculptors and singers. With his attitude of "No fear" that was equally balanced with "No sense," he has an endless number of hilarious encounters that he put to great use in the art of storytelling. But the best part of the story of all the funny, crazy and unusual ways he got into, and then out of, all types of trouble. Humor was his weapon of choice. His stories always ended with the listeners saying, "You have got to write a book." This is that book.
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781534702134
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 814
Book Description
This is a true story about how "Private Funny Man" came to have that name and how it suited him perfectly. Private Funny Man is best described as a mixture of Forest Gump and GI Joe on one side and Atticus Finch and Perry Mason on the other. It is the story of how he overcame poverty and a reading disability of dyslexia that had him labeled as being stupid. He failed several grades but was such a disrupted force in class that most teacher passed him on so they wouldn't have to deal with him again. Funny Man enlisted into the United States Marine Corps and it was a decision that changed his life. He finally learned how to read and after returning from Vietnam enrolled in college. He would go on to earn a BA, a MA and then a Juris Doctor of Law degree. He would go on to have a successful career in law. He was a champion for his clients as they, like him, were the underdogs. Humor was often the only tool he had to help keep his clients from spending a lifetime in jail. Still being drawn to service to his Country, he received a Commission as an Infantry officer in the United States Army Reserves at age 36. He was called to duty in Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Honduras, Egypt, Haiti and Bosnia. He became one of the oldest, if not the oldest, officer to complete the Army Airborne School at nearly 57 years of age. The remarkable thing is how many funny, crazy, interesting and often dangerous situations he always found himself involved. Surprisingly there is another side to Private Funny Man. He was named the South Carolina "Palmetto State Poet of the Year." He entertained many ladies with his poems and his knowledge of poets, painters, sculptors and singers. With his attitude of "No fear" that was equally balanced with "No sense," he has an endless number of hilarious encounters that he put to great use in the art of storytelling. But the best part of the story of all the funny, crazy and unusual ways he got into, and then out of, all types of trouble. Humor was his weapon of choice. His stories always ended with the listeners saying, "You have got to write a book." This is that book.